Rue Raphaël social homes is the conversion of a disused industrial warehouse into 13 social homes in Anderlecht, Brussels. The tenant housing cooperative Comensia acquired the building in 2016 through the Brussels regional Alliance Habitat programme and acted as the project’s developer, overseeing the works. The renovation was inaugurated in September 2022. 12
The homes include three three-bedroom and three four-bedroom apartments, as well as a two-bedroom apartment adapted for people with reduced mobility. Several apartments are dual-aspect, bringing natural light into the homes from more than one side. The ground floor includes a shared community room for residents and people living in nearby social housing. The project also provides parking; Comensia’s 2022 overview reports 13 spaces, while the original project article specifies six. 12
The renovation retained much of the building’s industrial character, including its brick facing, while adding insulated render. The project also included attention to thermal and acoustic insulation and effective ventilation. Its conversion of an abandoned industrial property into housing was presented as a way to add social homes within the existing urban fabric. 1
The project was developed by Comensia, with the Brussels-Capital Region’s Housing Corporation (SLRB) involved in the inauguration. The available sources identify no individual architect or other named design lead for this project. 12